Commuters invited to carpool this week

by Jil - February 8, 2011

Toronto, Ontario – Commuters in Ontario’s Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) are urged to look to ride-sharing to mark Carpool Week, which runs from February 7 to 11. Smart Commute invites commuters to visit its Web site and register for the free Carpool Zone ride-matching service.

The site, at Smart Commute, also allows drivers to use the online savings calculator to determine how much they can save by carpooling. Two people sharing a 50-kilometre return commute five days a week will each save as much as $50.00 in gasoline alone in one month. The total savings achieved by carpoolers registered with Smart Commute last year was $7.2 million.

“People are looking for ways to deal with rising fuel costs, so using our free Carpool Zone ride-matching service to find someone to share the ride and split the cost is a great place to start,” said Ryan Lanyon, manager of Smart Commute. “With a carpooling program in place, local employers can also save money by reducing the costs associated with providing staff parking. It’s a win-win situation.”

Smart Commute is an initiative of Metrolinx and the municipalities in the GTHA that works with employers to improve commuting options for their employees. To date, more than 150 employers with 350,000 commuters have signed on to the program, which is available in seven languages.